MILAN – The action got heated on the ice during the men’s curling contest between Canada and Sweden on Friday, resulting in a shouting match between the two sides.

The Swedish team accused Canada of cheating in what was ultimately an 8-6 win for the Canadians. Specifically, Sweden reported to referees that Canada’s Marc Kennedy was illegally touching his stone, giving it a secondary push with his finger after releasing the handle on top.

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In curling, players are required to release their stone before it reaches the “hogline,” marked on Olympic ice by a thick green line. A sensor flashes red if players have not released the stone before it reaches the hogline, but Kennedy was accused of using his finger to give the stone another shove after letting go.

Close-up, slowed-down video does appear to show Kennedy using his index finger on the stone as it approaches the hogline.

After Sweden lodged its complaint, an official was stationed at the green line to ensure no further infractions, though any previous plays could not be reviewed for impropriety.

As the match continued, the sides grew irritated with each other, resulting in Kennedy hurling expletives at the Swedish team in defense of himself and both sides argued across the ice.

“We want a game that is as sportsman-like, honest and clean as possible, so we call it out as soon as I see that the Canadian No. 2 is, in my eyes, there poking the stone,” Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson said after. “He drops the handle, so it gets a green light and that’s OK, but you can’t then poke it in any other part than the electronic handle and according to us, they did that.”

Kennedy, meanwhile, took offense to the accusation.

“I don’t like being accused of cheating after 25 years on tour and four Olympic Games,” Kennedy said.

Asked why their exchange occurred late in the match Kennedy added: “He’s still accusing us of cheating, and I didn’t like it. So I told him where to stick it, because we’re the wrong team to do that to. So I don’t care. He might have been upset that he was losing.”

In a statement to the CBC, World Curling did not acknowledge any double touching by Kennedy.

“The issue of second touches of the stone, specifically the granite, during the delivery was brought to the umpire’s attention,” the statement read. “Officials spoke with both teams and set game umpires at the hogline to monitor deliveries for three ends, which is the official protocol following this type of complaint. There were no hogline violations or retouches of the stone during the observation period.”

World Curling officials also met with Canadian officials following the match, and issued a verbal warning “regarding the language used” by Kennedy on the ice, adding that further inappropriate behavior would “result in additional sanctions.”

Sweden fell to 0-3 in round robin play after the loss to Canada, meaning they will have an uphill climb to force a potential rematch in the knockout stage.